Georgia Louise Holt Day 1

Georgia greeted us July 6, 2012 at 10:17am at Alta View Hospital.  She weighed in at 6 pounds 5 ounces and 19 inches long.  The labor and delivery went very smoothly.  I went natural and even though it was extremely painful, it was uneventful until she was born.  Georgia has had an exciting, eventful, and scary moments in her life.  Hopefully we are over them and everything will continue to progress positively.

Day 1  July 6, 2012

  A few minutes after birth, Georgia stopped breathing and had a dramatic drop in heart rate. She was resuscitated and given oxygen. She strained to breathe on her own for a few hours, wheezing and grunting with every breathe, and she failed to breathe hard enough to oxygenate the blood and expel CO2. Her CO2 levels got dangerously high and her poor little body was exhausted from trying to breath on her own for hours that she just couldn't do it anymore. Life flight was called and arrived to transport her to Primary Childrens Medical Center.  The wonderful Life Flight nurses intubated her and placed 2 umbilical lines; one in the artery,to monitor her CO2 levels, and one in the vein for IV access.  She was Life Flighted to Primarys where she was hooked up to a ventilator so she could relax and recoup while the machine did the breathing for her.  Georgia was born at 36 weeks and 2 days, so the neonatalogist, Georgia's doctor at the hospital,  also orders Surfactant to help open up her immature lungs because that is what they were thinking was her diagnosis, Acute Respiratory Distress due to premature birth.  One of the hardest part of the day for me was letting my baby go because I couldn't be discharged until 24 hours after delivery. Steve went to Primarys with Georgia and my mom stayed with me.  That was one of the hardest nights of my life.

About an hour after she was born in the nursery hooked on oxygen and an IV in her left hand.

When it was decided that Georgia was going to Primarys, I was able to hold her until Life Flight arrived to take her away.

Being intubated

Georgia being loaded into Life Flight, being transported to Primary Childrens Medical Center

Arrived safely at Primarys

Georgia Day 2

Day 2 July 7, 2012

Georgia's PA/NP called me at about 6 am to inform me that Georgia was doing great.  They extubated her and have her on CPAP and so far is doing well.  They stared feeding her through a feeding tube.  The doctor ordered 5 mL every 3 hours.  They tried weening her to a high flow nasal cannula but Georgia's oxygen saturation levels dropped so they placed her back on the CPAP.  Her CO2 levels have normalized so that was no longer a concern so they removed her artery line.  I was able to hold her for a  few hours before we went home and towards the end she perked up and began to move her arms and open her mouth in search of  food. A GREAT way to end the day, Monica could only be happier if she was coming home tonight.

Just arrived at the hospital. 

I was able to "feed" Georgia, her first feeding.  I was able to hold the syringe  for the gravity flow of food into her feeding tube.

Removing the artery line from her umbilical

It took many people to maneuver the lines but I was able to hold my baby!

Shortly before we left for the evening.  She started grabbing my finger and opening her mouth in search for something.  She still hasn't really opened her eyes yet.

Georgia Day 3

Day 3 July 8, 2012

She was taken off the CPAP machine and went down to a nasal cannula and her flow rate went down to 3 from 4. She was awake a bit of the day with arms moving, mouth opening and eyes looking. I was able to do some"skin on skin" contact and some non nutrition breastfeeding.  She sucked a few times...looked promising. Steve also got to spend some time with Georgia while I was off pumping.  I left the hospital smiling which is so weird to think that I am leaving my daughter at Primarys and I am leaving her smiling, but Georgia is doing so good and just getting better and better every day.

Skin to Skin contact

Look at those beautiful eyes

Steve and Georgia

Georgia Day 4

Day 4 July 9, 2012

Her air flow has been dropped from 3 to 2.  Her bilirubin levels were elevated to the point where she needed to be under the lights.She was awake most of the day with arms moving, mouth opening.  I was able to  breast feeding her.  Kyle, Miles and Layla got to meet her today as well, they LOVE her! It was great to see there instant connection.  Everything she is doing continues to be GREAT!!!!!

Under the lights.  Sporting the cool sunglasses!

Meeting Kyle, Miles, and Layla

Georgia Day 5

Day 5 July 10, 2012

By the end of the day Georgia had no nasal cannula and feeding tube. She pulled the feeding tube herself.  It was in her way with trying to nurse. While she was nursing, the tube came out about 1/3 of the way so they decided since she was nursing great and taking a bottle great that she no longer needed the feeding tube. We could see her beautiful face for the first time since her birth. Her bilirubin levels were down a little but still high enough that she needed to be under the lights still. She keeps improving faster then expected.  She is such a fighter.  She is Super Georgia!

Still under the lights

At the beginning of the day

At the end of the day

Georgia Day 6

Day 6 July 11, 2012

Now, off the lights but still needs an occasional burst of oxygen to keep her saturation in the 90's. We had to put the nasal cannula back on before we left for the night to give her an extra burst of energy. We don't want to wear her out again. We also removed her last line out of her belly, now line free! Nothing is holding her down now!

I love seeing how alert she is

Removing the last line

Georgia Day 7

Day 7 July 12, 2012

Georgia comes HOME today!!!!  She is still on oxygen but can go home on the oxygen.  She just needs to pass the car seat test and do the newborn hearing screening test and then she can come home.  She passed the hearing test and the car seat test with a no problem.  We got home health set up for in home oxygen for Georgia.  She is going home on oxygen but will probably not be on it for too long.

Hearing test. They did a more extensive test since she was premature and she was on antibiotics.

Car seat test.  She had to be in her car seat for 90 minutes without her oxygen saturation dropping.

In the van and going HOME!!!!!!!

Georgia at HOME

July 12, 2012

Georgia made it home today.  The kids got to hold and love her. It is so good to have her home yet kind of scary.  She is home on oxygen.  She is at 1/16 liters of oxygen on her flow.  She also wears a continuous pulse oxymeter.  Having that monitor helps me have some piece on mind.  I am able to sleep some because I know if there is trouble that the alarms will go off.